In order to improve their play, many golfers practice their strokes/shots/putts/swings (hereinafter “stroke(s)”) at driving ranges, putting greens, or settings other than actual golf courses. In order to effectively practice and improve a golf stroke, the golfer benefits by maintaining as many variables constant as reasonably possible. Similarly, to effectively teach a golf stroke, both the teacher and the student benefit by maintaining as many variables constant as possible while having the ability to isolate and change as few variables as possible, including the specific variable(s) that the teacher determines would be beneficial for the student to improve. Examples of variables include the grip, arm position, and the stance, among many others. The practicing golfer is forced to focus on, and is unable to maintain constant, an increased number of variables when required to position a new ball by, for example, placing it on a tee or a putting green. In either case, the golfer likely must, for example, release his grip, alter his arm position, and/or adjust his stance. The problem is further exaggerated on the putting green where substantially exact positioning of a replacement ball cannot be accomplished unlike on the driving range where the golfer can maintain some variables constant by using a tee. The lack of a tee, when practicing putting, therefore, adds yet a further variable of ball location.
In consideration of the above issues, golf ball dispensing devices have been developed to assist a practicing golfer in repeatedly placing a golf ball by reducing the effort and movement required by the golfer thereby reducing the number of variables inherent in taking successive practice strokes. Golf ball dispensing devices known in the art generally consist of mechanical devices, operated primarily by gravity, and electromechanical devices having a power source.
One of the earliest mechanical and gravity-operated golf ball dispensers was disclosed by Melton in U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,983 in which a tube is configured to hold golf balls and a ramp connected to the tube is configured to serially receive golf balls upon engagement by the golfer with the ramp. A tooth structure connected to the ramp holds back the balls to allow only one ball to release and counterweights cause the ramp to return to the closed position subsequent to placing a ball. However, this device as well as many other mechanical devices including those disclosed more recently by Carter in U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,589 and by Hines et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,034, do not adequately solve the problem of reducing the number of variables because they require a pedal, actuator, or some other physical engagement with the device on the part of the golfer. Although many of these devices have very limited portability, U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,607 does disclose a substantially portable golf ball dispensing device but it too contains a lever arm that must be depressed in order to initiate the release of a golf ball. This physical engagement by either the golfer's foot or a club requires the golfer to move his stance, change his grip, and/or alter his arm position, and, in any event, inherently causes the number of variables present in successive practice strokes to increase.
To substantially improve on this limitation inherent in mechanical devices, electro-mechanical golf ball dispensing devices were developed in the art to reduce the number of variables relative to mechanical golf ball dispensing devices by generally automating the process of ball release and placement. However, many of these devices, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,200 to Komori et al., for example, are not portable. Komori et al. teach the use of an infra-red sensor to activate a ball release mechanism but the machine is not configured to move. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,575 to Anderson, for example, although having an optical sensor and being technically portable because it has wheels, is not configured to be picked up and carried, such as by hand or attached to or disposed inside of a golf bag. Similarly, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,603 to Montalvo, although also disclosing the use of an optical sensor to sense whether a ball is on a tee, has reduced portability because of the substantially rectangular hopper. Also because of the hopper, a jogger mechanism is required to solve the problem of jamming, adding to the complexity and expense of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,130 to Egan discloses using a vibration sensor to activate a release mechanism but also has the problem of reduced portability due to the substantially rectangular storage container which has both an upper ball storage portion and a lower mechanism storage portion which together substantially reduce portability.
Although the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,004 to Vlahovic is configured to be picked up, it requires significant effort including unscrewing a bolt and wing nut to remove the tube from a platform which further reduces portability because the golfer must then carry or store at least two components. The '004 disclosure also describes automating by configuring the foot pedal to activate a cylinder which causes the delivery tube to cycle as shown in FIG. 4. However, cycling is not very reliable because it does not account for variations in the time between strokes which may be significant in the situation of a golf lesson where the instructor wishes to impart some information or advice before the golfer continues his practice strokes. Although the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,324 to Staehs is also configured to be picked up and carried, activating the ball release mechanism requires the golfer to place the head of the golf club in close proximity to a photo sensor thus increasing the number of variables. Portability is also reduced in the apparatus disclosed by Staehs because a base and hinged tee platform are required. Another limitation of the '324 device, which is shared by the '004 device, is that it requires the presence of a tee attached to a base causing the golfer to manually remove a ball from the tee to practice a putting stroke, thus increasing the number of variables.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved golf ball dispensing apparatus having increased portability, versatility, and reliability of automatic golf ball release and placement, while still being simple, easy to operate, and inexpensively manufactured.